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WB to provide an additional $150m financial support for the health sector

The World Bank (WB) approved an additional $150 million for the health sector of Bangladesh in a bid to strengthen and improve health services so that the poor can avail it easily.

“This additional financing to the Health Sector Development Programme will continue support to implement the government’s Health Sector-wide Programme,” said a WB release on Sunday.

It also mentioned that the support would help the government to address health sector challenges, including sustaining and improving immunisation coverage; further improving deliveries for pregnant women at public health facilities, and tackling multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

Moreover, the additional financial support would also help the country improve public financial management to get more value from its public spending on health.

Further, the financing will support developing a robust health information system, including for the first time in Bangladesh a web-based complaint-handling mechanism, the WB said.

“Bangladesh’s progress in improving health outcomes is remarkable. The country is globally recognised for improving maternal and child health and family planning,” said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal on approval of the additional fund.

According to WB, the Health Sector Development Programme and its predecessors have contributed to a 40 per cent reduction in maternal mortality since 2010. Bangladesh has reduced under-five child mortality by 29 per cent between 2007 and 2014. In addition births attended by medically trained professionals increased from 21 per cent to 42 per cent